Also known as a fume cupboard or fume closet, a fume hood is a type of local ventilation equipment used to minimize exposure to potentially harmful or poisonous gasses, vapors, or dusts. Fume hoods are particularly helpful in spaces where these substances run rampant such as in laboratories. There are plenty of lab fume hoods supplier Malaysia but what do we really know about this equipment? Is it really as necessary as everyone says it is? What is its actual function? Let’s find out together.
What is a fume hood?
It is a piece of laboratory furniture having a box-like frame and one open or partially open side. As mentioned, the fume hood’s job is to decrease and eliminate dangerous gasses, dust, mist, and aerosols produced by chemical usage in the fume hood so that they do not collect in the room or laboratory. This could cause significant harm to the people working within the enclosed space. Furthermore, the fume hood serves as a physical barrier between chemical processes and fume hood users as well as protection from inhalation of dangerous vapors, chemical spills, and fire.
There are countless different types of fume hoods that serve different functions according to what is the desired outcome. Fume hoods are classified into two major types: regular flow (bypass hood) and low flow (high performance bypass hood). The former type has an extra aperture installed above the sash. As the sash aperture closes, the bypass opening expands to allow air to be pulled through the top of the hood while maintaining a steady flow rate. The latter type of fume hood is newer and more state of the art as it has sash stops, horizontal sashes, electronics to alter the baffles and blowers to assist cleanse the air where you breathe.
Be sure to research which type of fume hood best suits your needs before purchasing!
Why is a fume hood necessary?
As previously mentioned, a fume hood is an added layer of safety and security when working in a dangerous environment. It is a form of PPE or Personal Protective Equipment that must be in place to maintain the safety of the workplace. Moreover, in addition to getting rid of dangerous gas, vapor and dust, fume hoods also help minimize any health risks. Lab work sometimes necessitates working with organisms that are infectious enough to spread from person to person. In light of this, you will need the extra protection that only a specific type of hood can provide!
Simply put, a laboratory hood protects you from nasty bugs by keeping them behind an air force field. This lab equipment prevents those bad bugs as well as other toxic substances from cross-contaminating and interacting with anything else. This would be disastrous not only to the workers’ health but also the world as a whole. Who knows what dangerous entities can be accidentally created without the presence of a fume hood?
Needless to say, lab fume hoods supplier Malaysia are absolutely necessary in a laboratory so be sure to add it into your lab furniture shopping list. It may be daunting to purchase one at first but with a little research, everything becomes easier.